Right, here goes for all those interested (warning - LONG!).
Friday I woke up at 6am with really quite uncomfortable but irregular contractions. They hung around until about 10am, but never really got any worse, so I didn't think much of it. I was pottering around, worrying in a vague way about getting stuff ready for DS's 3rd birthday party on Sunday (just family, so not really a big deal...).
I was a bit excessively annoyed with DH for having gone to London for work (over 2 hours away by train), and for not answering his phone, but didn't really think anything was starting.
At 10pm (DH home by 7pm, thank goodness), my waters broke. Just a gentle trickle but definitely waters. I phoned the community midwife on duty (no-one I knew), just to tell her something had started, but that I didn't need anyone yet. She told me to call back whenever I wanted. I soaked through a pad every half hour until midnight when I went to bed again.
At 1.30am I woke up with contraction pains and pottered downstairs. DS was asleep as was DH.
I started to get the birthpool out, figure out the hose and tap connector, wipe everything down with Milton. You know, all the things I should have done weeks ago...
By 3.30am the pains were regular (every 3-5 minutes, lasting for about 1 minute, and my TENS was really helping. The birthpool was slowly filling. I phoned the midwife - her phone was off!!! So I phoned triage at the hospital and they found another midwife for me. Turned out our team had already been at a homebirth, and had (rightly) gone home for a rest!
This was the only time I got a bit worried, as it took Triage about 20 mins to locate a midwife, and when she phoned me back, she said she was the other side of the city, and would take about an hour to reach me. I was looking longingly at the birth pool, but had been told not to get in until I was 5cm. So I needed a midwife to OK me, or risk slowing eveything down.
The midwife got to me just before 6am - DH now awake and downstairs with me, me counting through my contractions, using the contraction-master website, my TENS and a birthball. Examined - an 'easy' 4cm, could I stay out of the pool a bit longer? (sob).
DS got up, and he and DH went out for milk and bread, then to a dad's toddler group, which was ideal - I had such supportive care from my midwife that I felt really safe, and DS was with his dad, which was perfect. DH was happy to support me if I needed, but said he wasn't desperate to be there, so I had complete freedom of choice.
The contractions ramped up a level - counting turned into a coping strategy and the TENS was less and less use. I got in the pool.
The pool - it was lovely, warm and supportive. The level of pain relief was just a bit better than TENS, but I felt more in control and could move around well.
From here on, contractions got steadily stronger. Counting changed from 1 to 30, up to 40, 50, then I figured this was not good psychology and just went 1-20 as often as I needed to
The midwife was lovely, really hands off, just telling me that I was doing great, and that they sounded like useful contractions! Before I knew it, I really wanted to push. The second midwife hadn't arrived - she got to the house just as the 'vertex' was showing. Talk about 11th hour!
I was epidural'd last time, so never felt this. And yes, it was exactly like needing a huge poo! I had no idea it was the head, I was convinced it was a poo!
The second stage was just 11 minutes - about 6 pushes.
DD was born into my arms, the cord was left intact until I was ready to have it cut, and she had her first feed in the pool. At just over a week early she was covered in vernix, and quite sleepy, but APGARs were 9+9, so very healthy.
So 7 hour first stage, 11 minute 2nd stage and a surprisingly long 50 minute 3rd stage to get the placenta out.
No drugs at all, not even G&A, and although it hurt, I felt in control all the time.
I was so, so glad to do it this way - by midday I'd been stitched (2nd degree tear along the old episiotomy scar), bathed, dressed, given my new DD a cuddle, introduced her to her brother, and was comfortable and sending texts / making phone calls to my friends and family!
The community midwives were lovely, and it was such a different experience to DS's 'medical' birth (totally justified, I had PE and was on beta-blockers that time!). DD is gorgeous, and sleeping on my lap as I type.
I think that's it